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Jan. 9, 1923. 1,441,435. H. M. LAWTON.

TIME RECORDER.

FILED FEB-9,1920.

Patented J 9, 1923.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HUGH M. LAWTON, OF BELLEVUE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI RECORDER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TIME RECORDER.

Application filed February 9, 1920. Serial No. 357,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH M. LAWTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bellevue, Campbell County, Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Recorders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automatic ribbon shifts and is shown as attached to a time recorder although with modifications not departing from the spirit of,my invention, it could be applied to othenmachines.

Particularly in time recorders, due to the nature of their operation and the importance of the records whichthey keep, it is essential that the inking ribbon should not become exhausted and that the drive of the two spools be automatically'shifted from one spool to the other as soon as a ribbon,

becomes exhausted from either spool; It is my object, therefore, to provide a simple efficient ribbon spool operating device which shifts the driving movement from one spool to the other as soon as one spool becomes taut. This object I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of arts to be hereinafter more specifically polnted out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a recorder showing my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the ribbon operating'device.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a detailed section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the casing 1 of the time recorder are the arms 2, 2 which mount the spindles 3, 3 of the ribbon spools 4. At the lower end of the spindles are mounted ratchets 5 by which the spindles are operated.

Extending across the front of the machine is a rock shaft 6 which is connected with the operating handle 7 of the machine so that it is rocked every time the stamp is operated. On this shaft are a pair of arms 8 having terminal pins 9. Mounted on the pieces 10 of the casing are two slide plates 11, one on each side, the plates being slotted to slide on screws 12, 12, and having a notch at 13 for engagement with the pins 9.

Carried by the plates 11 is a cross plate 14 which plate 14 carries slidably a pawl carrying plate 15. This pawl carrier is slotted at 16 to ride oter screws 17 on the plate 14.

Sw1velly mounted on studs 18 are the pawls 19. The pawls, which are in the form of bell-crank levers are controlled by springs 20, 20, which are secured to the pawls and to the sliding plate midway between its ends. The springs hold the pawls at an angle to the line of the slide' of the pawl carrler. The partsare proportioned so that the pawls will contact with the ratchets 5 of the ribbon spool-and spindle. As so constructed, the device operates as follows.

The operation of the time stamp results in the sliding of the plates 11 back and forth on the time recorder frame, this moves the plate 14 with itand the pawl carrier through a lateral oscillation. Whereupon one of the pawls 19 will engage its ratchets 5 and rotate it at each oscillation.

If, however, the ratchet becomes taut due to the fact that the ribbon is all unwound from its spool or any other cause, then -in-- stead of the pawl moving the-ratchet it will push the pawl carrier over so as to bring the pawl on the other side of the pawl car- 1 by the pawl operation just described, I provide it with a nose 21 and to the plate 14 mopnt pivotally a rollercarrier 22 held by a spring 23. The point of the nose is so arranged that the roller 23 will be on one side or the other of it when the pawl carrier is moved to one side or the other.

It will be noted that in my construction, the depression of the platen operatin handle always shifts the ribbon spools, thereby relieving the spring return of this handle of any ribbon shifting duty;

It is believed that no further description of. the operation of the time recorder itself is necessary. In the claims that follow I do not wish to be limited to specific details of structure where not called for, for the reason that in the foregoing description I have not called attention to alternative structures.

Having thus described my invention what I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ribbon shift device comprising the combination with a pair of comparatively widely separatedqribbon spools and operating spindles therefor, of a pawl carrying plate'having two-directions'of movement at right angles to each other, separate pawls thereon foroperating thesaid spindles, said pawls being spaced so that only one" pawl ata time may operate a spindle, said pawls so positioned as to. move the carrier through one of its movements should a spindle refuse to operate, to throw the other pawl in operative position the other movement of the carrier beingiadapted to move one or the other of the pawls into operation by a stroke in the same direction.-

. one pawl at a time may operate a spindle,

said pawls so positioned as to move the carrier through one of its movements should a spindle refuse to. operate, to throw the other pawl in operative position, and means for retaining the carrier in one position until positively-thrown over by stoppage of a spindle compnsing a pivoted springpressed arm with, a stop on. the carrier against-which the arm abuts on either side v o the stop. Q Y

'3. In a time recorder, provided with an' operating lever under the control of the workman, a ribbon shift device comprising the combination with a pair ofcomparatively widely separated ribbon spools and operating spindlestherefor, of a pawl carrying plate having a normal forward and back movement across a line connecting the saidspindles and a restricted lateral movement, separate pawls on the carrying plate positioned so that one pawl only may opcrate a spindle at each end of the normal movement 'of the plate, a rock shaft and connection therefor with the operating lever, said rock shaft also coupled to the carrying plate to give the normal movement thereto upon the actuation of the operating lever, with the separate pawls so posltloned as to move the carrier laterally should a spindle refuse to operate to throw the other, pawl into operative position.

HUGH M. LAWTON. 

